Rome
3 hours
Rome Original Spritz & Spaghetti Cooking Class
Learn how to cook traditional Italian food with a cocktail in this chef-led class near the Colosseum. Make fresh pasta from scratch and enjoy 3...
from€59Check dates
History
Clams have been harvested in the Gulf of Naples and the Pozzuoli coast since the Roman era; the pairing with pasta became codified in Neapolitan cucina di mare in the 19th century. Naples insists on the in bianco version without tomato; Rome's version with tomato is a separate preparation. The canonical Naples rooms for the dish today are La Cantinella on the Lungomare and Mimi alla Ferrovia near the central station.
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Tours, tastings and classes that match this page, bookable on GetYourGuide.
Florence
Guided tour · 2 hours
Florence: Pasta Cooking Class with Unlimited Wine
Learn to make fresh pasta like the grandmothers of Italy during a class at a cooking school inside Florence's medieval tower. Learn every step of the...
from€18Check dates
Naples
3 hours
Naples Official Pizza Making Class & Tiramisu with wood oven
Roll up your sleeves and discover the flavors of Naples by making authentic pizza and creamy tiramisù with a passionate local chef. Cook, laugh, eat,...
from€21Check dates
Venice
Guided tour · 2h 30m
Venice: Street Food Tour with a Local Guide and Tastings
Experience the flavors of Venice on a guided walking tour. Visit the Rialto Market, try tapas, such as "cicchetti," and admire historical highlights...
from€46Check dates
Common allergens: Gluten, Molluscs
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1kg vongole veraci (live small clams), scrubbed
- 400g spaghetti
- 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
- 1 small red chilli, sliced, or dried chilli flakes
- 150ml dry white wine
- Large handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- Sea salt
Method
- Soak clams in cold salted water for 30 minutes to purge sand. Drain and rinse.
- Cook spaghetti in heavily salted boiling water until 2 minutes short of al dente. Reserve 200ml pasta water.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and chilli and cook 1 minute. Add clams and wine, cover and cook over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes until clams have opened. Discard any that stay shut.
- Drain pasta and add to the pan with a ladleful of pasta water. Toss over high heat for 2 minutes to finish cooking and build an emulsified sauce.
- Scatter parsley, adjust salt, and serve immediately.
Tip from the editors. Using the pasta cooking water to build the sauce is not optional; the starch is what keeps the olive oil from splitting.
Where to eat spaghetti alle vongole
Spaghetti alle Vongole in Naples
La Cantinella ★ 4.3
La Cantinella in Naples' Santa Lucia waterfront has run the classic seafood carte since 1971, with the Bay of Naples view, vongole and crudo di mare.
Book2 weeks ahead
TipClosed Sunday. Book three weeks ahead via the website. Bay-view terrace tables go first.
Mimi alla Ferrovia ★ 4.1
Mimi alla Ferrovia near Naples Central Station has cooked Neapolitan classics since 1943, with linguine all'astice the dish Sophia Loren and city politicians.
Book2 weeks ahead
TipClosed Sunday all day. Book a fortnight ahead via the website for weekends; the lobster pasta runs around 35 euros.
Ristorante Caruso ★ 4.0
Ristorante Caruso on Via Partenope in Naples sits on the rooftop of the Grand Hotel Vesuvio over Castel dell'Ovo, with a classic seafood carte.
Book2 weeks ahead
TipBook a fortnight ahead; rooftop terrace tables face the Castel dell'Ovo. Jacket suggested for the dining room.
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